Stripped Bare (Stripped #1)(50)

“My voice of reason.” He grinned even wider and touched his nose to mine. “Thank god I can get rid of him sometimes and do crazy shit like this.”

“Having sex with me is crazy shit?”

He rolled us both over so he was on his back and I was on top of him, and I squealed.

“Yeah,” he said, “having sex with you is crazy shit. Inviting you for lunch is even crazier. As a rule, I don’t mix business and pleasure, angel, but you make me want to sin.”

I touched my forehead against his. “So sin.”

He ran one hand up my back and fisted my hair. “I already am. Every f*cking time I look in your eyes.” He pushed my face down to his and kissed me hard. “Come on. Let’s clean up, get dressed, and get food.”

So we did. I locked the bathroom door while I showered so he couldn’t get in, much to his annoyance. He, however, left it open, almost expectantly.

I didn’t know what he was waiting for—clearly, he’d never been with a woman who had thick hair and lots of it. It took me thirty minutes to get my hair to an acceptable dryness, and that was after it’d sat in my towel turban for twenty minutes while I’d dried off, dressed, and applied my makeup.

Regardless, we left my apartment and reached a restaurant at a time too late for lunch but too early for dinner. I had no idea what I wanted to eat, even as I’d looked at a menu and ordered.

We were heading into awkward territory very quickly, and I didn’t know how to slow it down. It was plainly obvious that Beck really was a cockblock, and the exact kind of one we needed. He all but made us talk about work, and now he wasn’t here to do so, I was wondering what to say.

Which was exactly why the one thing I didn’t want to say vomited itself out of my mouth.

“Who’s Charlotte?”

West’s gazed snapped to me from where he’d been looking out the window. “That’s...abrupt. And very random.”

I clapped my hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. It doesn’t matter.”

His lips twitched to one side. “It’s not a secret, Mia. Just a part of my life I prefer not to discuss, but since Beck forced it up...”

“It really doesn’t matter.” Damn. Why had I had to ask that? And why was I saying it didn’t matter? It did. It shouldn’t have. But it did. “Just...forget I asked, okay? I don’t really care. Not that I don’t care. I mean... I don’t need to know. It’s not my business. Damn, West, why can’t you stop me talking?”

He laughed low and reached across the table, putting his hand over my mouth. “There. Does that help?”

I nodded, and he dropped his hand.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Mia... If you want to know, I don’t mind telling you.”

I shook my head and looked away. “It’s not my business. I’m going to junk-punch Beck for making me hear about her.”

“Honestly...”

“West.” I met his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t need to know about her. It’s not like what we have going on here is going to last once Rock Solid’s marketing is in place and I’m back home, is it?”

He said nothing.

He just...stared at me. Even as he picked up his glass of water and sipped, his stunningly bright eyes stayed fixed on me, indiscernible emotion warring in them.

I dropped my gaze to my lap and swallowed hard. That was it, wasn’t it? This would end. Once real life took over, once this job was over, this sexual relationship would be too.

I was equal parts looking forward to it and dreading it.

Our food was brought out then, which momentarily sliced through the awkwardness. Only momentarily, mind you. The second our server left us, the awkwardness descended once again.

I couldn’t believe I’d asked him. God, what kind of idiot was I? A prize one. Olympic gold medalist at stupidity. I had to be.

It wasn’t my business. I chanted that inside my head as we ate in silence. This...relationship...was temporary. There was no room for personal feelings or stories. We were sex, born of irresistible desire. Nothing more, nothing less.

Why couldn’t I understand that?

Why did my heart clench when I told myself that?

“Charlotte’s my ex-wife.”

I snapped my head up so fast that I gave myself whiplash. “Your...ex-wife,” I repeated dumbly.

West nodded once and waved for the check. It came in moments, so he slipped some cash inside and then stood, his hand held out for me.

I didn’t hesitate before I took it. We made our way outside, his grip on my fingers never wavering. I didn’t try to pull away as we walked down the street. Fluffy, white clouds drifted in front of the sun now and then, lessening its heat a little.

His ex-wife.

“Your ex-wife, huh?” I said quietly, looking forward. I should have brought my sunglasses.

He glanced down at me. “She’s the single biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

Ouch.

“We were young. We’d just bought the club. She worked behind the bar. I hired her, believe it or not. It didn’t take her long to pull the claws out. Beck warned me, but I didn’t see her for what she was back then.” He ran his other hand through his hair as he lightly squeezed my fingers. “She looked at me and saw money. I fell for it.”